Vuokko Aro is Chief Design Officer at Monzo, where she has led the design function for nearly a decade through hypergrowth from startup to one of the UK's most loved fintech brands. She oversees a team of over 100 people across product design, brand design, and user research. On today's show we chat about scaling design teams, building trust through transparency, the value of constraints, and how to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses as you grow in your career.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro
02:26 – Vuokko's journey into design and joining Monzo
06:16 – Building in the open and transparency as a core value
11:42 – Scaling design whilst maintaining craft and quality
23:12 – Building design culture and protecting craft at scale
37:44 – Managing stakeholders and navigating disagreement
48:36 – Transitioning from IC to leadership and learning to let go
55:48 – Career development and focusing on strengths
01:03:22 – End of show questions

Connect with Vuokko
LinkedIn

Selected links from the episode
The Monzo Book of Money

Episode Spotlight: Slow Burn vs. The "Spark"